This disclosure generally relates to a gas turbine engine, and more particularly to a mounting system for mounting a gas turbine engine to an aircraft pylon.
A gas turbine engine may be mounted at various points of an aircraft, such as a pylon integrated with an aircraft structure. For example, a mounting system is often used to support a gas turbine engine relative to the pylon. Mounting systems may include any combination of links, ball joints or plates that support the engine vertically, laterally and axially. The mounting system ensures the transmission of a variety of static and dynamic loads between the engine and the aircraft structure. The loads experienced by a mounting system include vertical loads and side loads (loads experienced perpendicular to an engine centerline axis), torque loads (loads experienced as a result of rotation of the engine) and thrust loads (loads experienced in a direction parallel to aircraft travel). The mounting system must also absorb the deformations that the engine is subjected to during different flight conditions and the dimensional variations caused by thermal expansion and retraction of the engine.
One known mounting system for a gas turbine engine includes a pylon having a forward mount and an aft mount. The forward mount dissipates thrust loads, vertical loads and side loads experienced adjacent to the front end of the engine. The aft mount dissipates vertical loads, side loads, thrust loads and torque loads experienced adjacent to the rear end of the engine.
One disadvantage of mounting systems of this type is the inability to adequately react (i.e., absorb and dissipate) the static (weight) loads and dynamic (maneuvering) loads created during operation of the engine as an engine distorts and flexes. The engine loads may distort the casing that surrounds the various engine components. This distortion can cause the clearances between the static cases and a plurality of rotating blade tips encased within the static cases to increase. This may negatively affect engine performance and increase fuel burn.
Accordingly, it is desirable to provide a mounting system for a gas turbine engine that minimizes tip clearances and that adequately dissipates the transmission of loads between the engine and the aircraft structure.